Health care reform ruling historic achievement

As a future physician, I was thrilled to see the Supreme Court uphold the Affordable Care Act. For millions of Americans, our health care system is broken. For many more, it works well. The Affordable Care Act takes a moderate approach toward fixing our dysfunctional individual and small business health insurance markets while strengthening Medicare and the employer-based market. Those who have access to health care may not notice a big change, but for those who don't, this is a big deal.

Since graduating from Eureka High School, and moving across the country to attend Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, I sometimes feel far from my Humboldt County roots. However, wherever I am, I know that the one thing that unites us all is that sooner or later we will all get sick. The Affordable Care Act balances personal responsibility with the belief that every American deserves access to high-quality, affordable health care.

Tonight, I will celebrate this historic achievement. Tomorrow, I pledge to continue working toward a health care system that works for all of us.